Page 70 of Stolen By the Bratva King

Hazel’s eyes are wide like a sad puppy. Every bone in my body is going to break under the weight of how much I love her.

“Make it up to me by letting me come along,” she urges.

“Maybe I’ll just stay here with you.” It’s the only compromise I know how to give to make her listen to me.

Her mouth hangs open. “What?”

“I’ll just send Vlad. He knows what to do. You saw how well he handled the destruction at the other warehouses.”

Hazel screws her eyes shut and shakes her head. “No. You can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

Hazel starts chewing on her thumbnail. Her eyes are nervous, skimming over me as if she’s afraid I’m going to walk out the door never to be seen again. Her fears are valid. I just don’t have time to argue with her about it.

“Vlad might miss something important,” she declares, as if her statement solves everything.

When I open my mouth to protest again, she starts talking quickly. “Think about it. I saw these weapons being manufactured with my own eyes, and Oleg was there. I was originally going to write an article about gun trafficking. I’malreadyinvolved, David.” Her hands are clammy and warm, wrapped in mine. “I need to be able to take pictures, especially of Oleg there and running the illegal trade. It will help clear your name, David.”

I contemplate. The room is quiet, absorbing the millions of thoughts between us that we aren’t saying, like they’re being sucked through a vacuum.

I feel myself caving under the pressure. “Are you sure you don’t want to just stay here with me, where we will both be safe for the little one?”

I cup my hands on her belly, then lean down on my knees and kiss her navel, stroking her stomach.

Hazel puts her hands on my shoulders. She’s looking at me very fondly, but her mouth is upturned in a strange half-smile. She brushes her fingers through my hair. A buzzing sensation vibrates through my muscles, and I let out low groan, allowing my eyes to briefly close.

“I love you. We’ll be safe, I promise. We survived the hits at the other warehouses, didn’t we?”

I open my eyes. “That was different. Oleg and his men weren’t there.”

“David, you need me for the evidence. You can protect me, and I trust you to do that.” Her eyes blaze with a passion so fierce it makes my head spin.

I’m still on my knees in front of her. I lift my chin and gaze into her beautiful face, hoping tonight won’t be the last night I will ever see it, hoping that this won’t be the last time my fingertips will have the luxury of grazing across her warm, soft skin.

“Alright.” I blow out an exasperated puff of air. “We’ll both go. We’ll ride over with Vlad and meet a group of men I already have stationed nearby. They’re waiting for my clearance on the ambush.”

Hazel’s smile is almost giddy.

“I take back what I said before, when we were fighting,” I tell her.

“What?” She frowns.

“When I said you weren’t cut out for the bratva life. I was wrong. You belong. You have a storm inside you, and it’s memorizing. Sometimes relentless.”

Hazel beams. Her face is radiant under the moonlight framing her face, spilling into the room in squares of silver.

“At least you realize it now,” she hums, her lips inching towards mine.

Her breath is warm on my face. Her mouth flutters against my mouth.

A euphoria so paramount surges through me, I get dizzy. This woman has a complete chokehold over my emotions, and I love it.

I lift her in my arms, hugging her tight to me. Our kisses are indulgent. She moans softly against the back of my ear.

“I love you,” she whispers.

“I love you too. Now let’s go. We’re out of time.”

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